“No, silly. That he wanted more than to just get his and go. He lingered with you. Snuggled you in. The man wants to protect you and get to know the real you. I’m telling you, Sam, don’t turn your back on this one,” Lola advised.
“What? This coming from Miss Love ’Em and Leave ’Em?” Sam laughed, stretching her foot out to admire her toes.
“And there’s a damn good reason I do leave them. I’m not ready for a long-term relationship. So I pick men that I know will be a diversion for a while. We both know what we’re in it for – so nobody’s heart gets hurt. Mutual affection and enjoyment. That’s the name of the game,” Lola said.
“So? I’d say Lucas and I have mutual affection.” Sam shrugged, trying to play it cool.
“Sam, come on. As long as I’ve known you, you’ve never been one to pull off casual affairs. And I don’t think you should try to with this guy. He cooked you lunch, counseled you on your toxic family, gave you the best orgasm of your life, and then cuddled you in a hammock. And!” Lola cut Sam off when she was about to speak. “And he’s got a cute dog. I mean, be still my heart.”
“Pipin is pretty damn cute,” Sam agreed.
“Just… okay, can you just promise me one thing?” Lola asked.
“Depends what it is,” Sam said.
“Promise you won’t try to poke holes in this or look for all the things wrong with it or reasons why it couldn’t work. I’m not saying get your head in the clouds and picture walking down the aisle with this man. But, just… can you just give it a chance? And see what happens?” Lola asked.
“You want me to believe in a fairy tale?”
“I want you to believe that happy endings can look different from what’s been carefully mapped out and planned for you,” Lola said.
Sam winced at the truth of the words. “That’s fair,” she said.
“Good. Now, tell me – what are your plans for the day?”
“Don’t yell at me, but I’m going to check in with work,” Sam said, and now it was her turn to cut off Lola’s protestations. “Lola, stop. It’s my job and it’s me. It’s who I am. I can’t shake being responsible. I promise to not get sucked into any problems, but I do need to check in with accounts. Then after that Lucas is going to take me for an adventure around the island, he said. Maybe snorkeling? I’m not sure, but he told me to wear my bikini again.”
“Eeeek!” Lola shrieked.
Sam laughed, shaking her head at the phone. “I’m hanging up now,” she said.
“Don’t forget to shave your legs!”
Sam laughed down at the phone and then pulled her laptop open. Thus far she’d successfully avoided addressing any work emails, but it had been a real challenge. It was deeply ingrained in her to check her phone constantly and to review any emails, or handle any issues that arose, as quickly as possible. Scanning the several pages of emails that awaited her, Sam took a deep breath and began to do something she hadn’t done for most of her tenure at Paradiso.
Delegate.
In an hour, she’d assigned, answered, or handled everything that was needed – then, because she knew she could be sucked in further as people began to respond to her being online, she put up a vacation autoresponder for the first time ever.
Now that felt good.
Sam stood and stretched, closing her laptop and plugging it in on the sideboard. Glancing at the clock, she jumped. She only had a half hour to get ready, and she’d promised Lucas she’d get snacks for their adventure.
Sam snorted indelicately at the word ‘adventure.’ It was ridiculous, really, that she was off for an adventure day. It was more of an outing or an excursion, she thought as she stepped under the spray of the shower and quickly shaved as Lola had advised. Toweling off, Sam glanced in the mirror and raised her eyebrows at the tousle of curls that rioted around her face. There was no use trying to straighten and tame that mess of hair in this humidity. Best to embrace it; maybe one of these days Jolie or Mirra would teach her to braid it like they did.
Slipping on her red bikini, a little sliver of pleasure sliced through her as she remembered Lucas untying the bikini bottom. It had just been so… decadent. Something she never would have allowed herself to indulge in before, Sam mused, as she pulled one of her new cover-ups, a deep azure trimmed with little discs of shiny gold, over her head. She wouldn’t say she’d been a prude – at least not with Noah she hadn’t been – but she was the private sort. Outdoor sex of any kind had always been off the table. And here she’d just laid out for a man in a hammock on his patio.
Settling her new necklace over her head and tossing on some long dangly earrings – far more exotic than she’d ever wear in a corporate environment – Sam glanced once more in the mirror. It was like she was looking at a different person. Her eyes seemed to glow in her face, her hair was wild around her head, and she was dripping gold shimmers – and was that… joy? Serenity? Sam didn’t know this woman yet, but she’d like to.
Chapter 24
It wasn’t Irma she found in the kitchen, but Jolie and Mirra – and Samantha was immediately submitted to an inquisition that would rival the ancient Spaniards.
“Mama said you spent the day with Lucas yesterday,” Jolie said, hand on hip. Today she wore pink – an intricately crocheted dress that hugged every inch of her curves.
“And came back smiling,” Mirra added from where she stirred something on the stove. She wore the palest shade of yellow today, in the form of flowy pants and a barely-there halter top.
“Are you this nosy with all your guests?” Sam wondered.
“Yes,” Jolie admitted, reaching up to pull a wicker picnic basket from the cabinet.
“Just the ones we like,” Mirra demurred, tossing a smile at Sam over her shoulder.
“Tell us everything,” Jolie demanded, putting the picnic basket on the table and going to the industrial-size refrigerator that dominated one side of the room.
“Well, maybe not everything. She’s the private sort, Jolie. How about just a little tidbit?” Mirra asked.
Sam briefly wondered how these two women had such a good read on her, considering they barely knew her, and then gave up. She slid onto a chair at the kitchen counter as the women bustled about, putting together a basket of food for her adventure day with Lucas. Sam still almost giggled every time she thought about having an adventure.
“He’s an amazing kisser,” Sam said with a devilish smile, and the women sighed.
“I just knew it,” Jolie announced as she sliced up cheese for the basket. “He has that look about him, you know? A man who can kiss well carries himself with confidence.”
“You’ve never tested those waters?” Sam asked, keeping her voice casual but desperately wanting to know. If Jolie and Mirra were her competition, then she was out of luck. Those two were seriously gorgeous.
“He’s not for us,” Mirra said, shaking her blonde hair as she laughed. “Not that we can’t appreciate a good-looking man. We already told you he was just our friend.”
“I know, I guess I just have a hard time believing it. You all live so close together, and you’re all so damn good-looking,” Sam grumbled.
“I think there was a compliment in there somewhere,” Jolie preened as she tossed her curls.
“I’m sorry, that was rude of me,” Sam said immediately.
“No need to apologize.” Mirra smiled gently.
“We agree, though,” Jolie laughed. “We are damn good-looking. And so is that man of yours. But the whole living close to each other… Well, sometimes it’s best not to muddy the waters. Living on an island is like living in a very small town. Everybody is extremely interested in everyone else’s business. You’re smart to keep your mouth shut and gossip about nobody – and when you do decide to, uh, dance with a man, choose carefully.”
“I never thought about it like that,” Sam said. “I’m so used to living in a big city.”
“Life’s different down here. The last thing you want is to have a fling wit
h a neighbor and then have to live next to him for years,” Mirra said.
“And watch him bring home a slew of new women,” Jolie all but growled.
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Is this from experience then?”
“Another time, another place.” Jolie waved it away and pasted a bright smile back on her beautiful face. “But rest easy, my friend. Lucas is all yours. We’ll just live vicariously through you – but only if you’re not greedy with the details.”
“I’ve never had anyone live vicariously through me,” Sam mused, peeking into the ever-growing pile of food that was being deposited into the picnic basket.
“No? I thought you said you traveled a ton for work. I’m sure some people you know envied that?” Mirra asked.
“I… well, hmm,” Sam said, tilting her head as she thought about it, “Perhaps people wanted to live vicariously through me in what they assumed my life was like. But reality is hardly the stuff of daydreams.”
“It can be,” Jolie said, flipping the basket top closed and latching it.
“I mean… sure, I guess. But not really. You still have to work and all that.” Sam shrugged.
“But work should give you pleasure,” Mirra said.
“And you should live where you want.” Jolie swung the basket easily from the counter.
“And love who you want,” Mirra added as they headed for the door.
“And dress how you want,” Jolie said, pointing at her pink crochet dress.
“Okay, okay – I get it.” Sam raised both hands, laughing. These two would make her head spin. They were like life coaches on speed – and she had to admit their pep talks were very effective. Primarily because they left little room for talking about anything other than what they were drilling into her brain. “So, just daydream what I want my life to be and it’ll turn into that.”
“Exactly,” Jolie said, surprising Sam with a kiss to her cheek, so delighted was she with Sam’s assessment.
“I’m not sure it really works like that,” Sam said, as the three of them left the kitchen to go out front of the villa to wait for Lucas’s 4-runner.
“Sure it does,” Mirra said, waving at Lucas as he beeped his approach. “You manifest your reality. Your words, your thoughts, your actions. Dreams can be as real as you want them to be – if you believe in them.”
“Yeah, but… you can dream about winning the lottery all you want, but that might not happen.” Sam’s logical side couldn’t help but rear its head.
“Ah, sure. But people only dream of winning the lottery to ease some of their current tensions. It could be credit card debt, a mortgage, or work stress. However, winning the lottery isn’t the only solution to those issues. So if the dream is to have the money to resolve whatever the stresses may be, it might not come via the lottery, but the person can still manifest an answer,” Jolie said. She turned to hand the picnic basket to Lucas. “Hey there, handsome. Taking our pretty guest on an adventure?”
“Sure am, and I have to say you’re all looking lovely today,” Lucas said.
Jolie and Mirra positively glowed under his words, shaking their curls and pressing kisses to his cheeks. It would have made her jealous if Sam weren’t beginning to understand that this was just their way. These women were happy, enthusiastic about life, and loving. It seemed they embraced everything with joy, and she had yet to see any sign that either of them had a mean bone in their bodies.
“Thanks for putting the basket together for me,” Sam said. She was showered with the same amount of hugs and kisses as Lucas had received, then the sisters waved them on their way.
“Remember, it’s a small island,” Jolie whispered in her ear before she let Sam out of her hug. “If you do something too naughty in a public place, we’ll all know.”
Sam blanched white as she thought about the day before. Pulling back, Jolie assessed her face and laughed, touching the tip of Sam’s nose with her finger.
“Don’t worry, we live on a private beach. Have fun, you two!”
“You look beautiful today,” Lucas said, surprising Sam by pulling her to him and lingering over a kiss until they both heard catcalls from the doorway. “Just giving them what they wanted.”
“Is that all it was?” Sam asked, half aroused and half annoyed, as she slid onto the dusty seat of his beat-up truck.
“And to make sure you weren’t nervous about seeing me again after yesterday,” Lucas said cheerfully as Sam blushed.
“I’m not nervous,” Sam insisted.
“You’ve got nervous-type written all over you, sweets. I’d say five minutes away from the house you’d have started stuttering and trying to work yourself past the awkwardness you feel about yesterday.”
“I’m not nervous about it.” Sam narrowed her eyes at him behind her sunglasses. “I’ll have you know I quite enjoyed it, thank you very much.”
“I know you did.” Lucas shot her a shit-eating grin and she dissolved into laughter.
“I walked right into that, didn’t I?”
“Hey, a man likes his ego flattered, you know?” Lucas laughed and Sam felt the tension ease from her shoulders. Damn if the man wasn’t right – she had been nervous about seeing him again.
“All right, Captain. Take me on an adventure.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Lucas said, and gunned the engine.
Chapter 25
“It always helps to explore the island with a local,” Lucas said as he turned the truck away from the direction of town.
“Is that what you are now? A local?” Sam murmured, leaning a hand out the window to catch the breeze as they rumbled past a row of palms tucked on a cliff wall by the sea. “That has such a nice ring to it. Usually at home we’ll tell people where we’re from or that we grew up here, but I rarely say I’m a local.”
“I do like the terminology, I’ll admit. It gives a sense of belonging, I suppose,” Lucas mused. “Or maybe a badge of honor? Since island life isn’t always as easy as it seems.”
“How so? I mean, I know we talked about trading problems the other day – but what do you find to be particularly difficult?” Sam asked, tapping her hand to the beat of the reggae music he had turned on low.
“Mmm, it’s a mix of things, I suppose. We don’t Amazon Prime items to our doorstep every day. So we have to make do with what we have or wait weeks or months for new parts to arrive. That makes most islanders a blend of hoarders and handymen. You have to learn to be self-sufficient, build it or patch it yourself, and when you see an item you love – buy all of it.”
Sam laughed and then realized he was serious.
“Buy all of it? Like what?”
“Your favorite brand of beer? Buy all the cases. Your favorite cereal? Buy all the boxes. Favorite soap? Buy it all,” Lucas said, shifting gears and directing the truck up a steep incline. Sam held on as they bounced through some ruts in the dirt road. “Shops don’t automatically restock when an item is sold out. Or if they do, it might not be the same brand. I have an entire pantry and freezer full of favorite items.”
“I… wow, I never thought about it like that.”
“We have Facebook groups. It’s not uncommon for someone to post, ‘what shop has bananas for sale today?’ and have everyone chime in to let them know if there are bananas on island.”
“That’s amazing. I guess I just take for granted that I can get what I want when I go to the grocery store,” Sam mused.
“And now apply that to everything – underwear, computer equipment, car parts and so on. It’s not to say that you can’t find these things, but sometimes you either have to track it down, make do with what you find, or wait a month or two for your online order to come in.”
“I suppose that cuts down on some impulse shopping.” Sam thought of the embarrassing number of times she had clicked “Order Now” on her Amazon account.
“It does. But you don’t need as much here either. You spend a large part of your day outside, so shoes are optional. Clothing is f
airly casual on an island, and pretty much everyone drives a run-down car.”
“I noticed that about the cars,” Sam said, eyeing his dust-covered dashboard with the air conditioner that struggled to let out little puffs of cool air, even though they had the windows open.
“It doesn’t make sense to buy a fancy car. First of all, they’re all wired with fancy electronics now. When one wire corrodes in this salt air, it’s all gone. And nobody will have the part for it. Since the salt air and humidity gets to everything eventually, why waste the money? Not to mention the goats.” Lucas slanted her a look.
“Shut up!” Sam said, smacking him lightly on the arm as she laughed.
“I am dead serious when I say I’ve come outside to see goats standing on the hood of my car. Look,” Lucas gestured.
Samantha peered through the windshield, where she could make out little divots in the hood of the truck.
“Why were they standing on your truck?” Sam gasped.
“To eat the bushes that are higher up,” Lucas laughed.
“Naturally,” Sam said.
“But the tradeoff for these things is this – just look,” Lucas said, and pulled the car to the side of the dirt road as they reached the top of the cliff.
Sam gasped – the world seemed to open up in front of them. Unable to help herself, she hopped from the car and went to stand at the edge of the cliff. Jagged edges of cliff wall jutted out below her, seeming to thrust directly from the depths of the turquoise blue water. From here, the whole island seemed to spread out before her and she could see the tiny colorful buildings of the village hugging the harbor, fishing boats lazily cruising the water, and even a few windmills standing tall on the other side of the island. The island, which she’d first perceived as flat when her plane had landed, was anything but. It rolled and curved, dipped and dived, and had its own stark beauty of desert cactuses and proud palm trees. But the sea – oh, the sea called to her.
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